Pulse | our teams, our stories, our careers.

So, here’s the thing– as you all know, I’m the ice cream business analyst here at Target. That’s fine and dandy…but my friends, my family, and even my boyfriend wonder “What does that mean you actually do all day?” As it states on the header of this blog, Pulse’s purpose is to give readers an understanding of what daily life working at Target is really like. If you’re interested in being a business analyst (BA) at Target (which in my completely and utterly biased opinion I think you should be) here’s some insider knowledge on what your day would look like if you were a BA at Target. A Completely Honest & Overly-Detailed Average Day in the Life of a BA: 7:30/8 AM: Get to work! Most people take the bus in (Minneapolis has a great public transit system) and show up between 7:30 and 8. This is also one […]

Retail in Q4 is an exciting, thrilling, and exhilarating whirlwind of an experience. Even if you’re not in a business that is traditionally sensitive to the holidays (think electronics and toys), every area in Target is still impacted by the sheer amount of traffic that comes barreling through our doors from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. During this busy time, a lot of our focus as a company is on gifting and helping our guest find the perfect little (or big) something for the special people in their lives. While I’ve had the opportunity to give and receive some great little and big “somethings” at Target over the past few weeks leading up to the holidays, I’ve actually already received one of the best gifts of all from Target itself. My gift from Target didn’t come in a box, and it didn’t come wrapped in shiny paper. It didn’t even actually […]

The *holiday* season is in FULL throttle which means a few things for a Target buyer :: obsessive compulsive sales tracking {I may or may not have our Inventory Tracking Application open at all times on certain *hot* to-remain-nameless items} | super busy Mondays full of scrubbing, analyzing, recapping, and contingency planning {since the beauty of retail is that you can truly never predict what will happen}|and LOTS {and lots!} of store visits {for both personal shopping and eyeball shopping}. On my recent visit to Tarzhay I found myself not making my normal beeline straight to the Toy department {buyers can be so self-involved…}, but instead taking a mosey around the racetrack.  Aaaand, because merchant self-involvement always kicks in, I totally found myself in middle of the Small Appliance floorpad drooling in front of the KitchenAid stand mixer endcap {what?  I love that hot pink stand mixer…} It’s amazing how […]

In my mind, there are two definitions of “transition”: General Definition: the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another Target Definition: a semi-annual/annual process where product is changing in an assortment For the ice cream team, it’s recently been a time of transition–in both the general and Target sense. As noted in my last blog post, we have a new buyer (Jon…but we call him Jim), and we also have a business analyst in training (Tia) that is training on the ice cream desk. They’re both wonderful additions to the team, and they’ve been spending the past few weeks getting up to speed on all things ice cream-related. On top of this transition, we’ve also been knee-deep prepping for Target’s definition of a transition–which our category will be going through in early February. We’ve been planning item changes, envisioning what the aisle is going to look […]

At Target, we’re great at a lot of things – democratizing value + great design, delivering a superior shopping experience, letting people expect more + pay less, aaaaand host some darn good events.  I haven’t experienced it for myself, but word on the street is that our Fashion Week fetes, editor events, designer partnership celebrations, and launch parties all put Target on the cool kids map.  So it’s no surprise to me that when it comes to recruiting conferences {which I do get to experience firsthand}, Target is the sponsor who gets the party started. I just returned from a weekend in NOLA for the 16th annual ROMBA Conference.  I mentioned before that there are two seasons at Target :: winter + interns {route to old post here}.  Well, there’s a third season that keeps me busy :: recruiting.  Since I myself was wooed to Minnesnowta from a sunny life in So Cal […]

At Target, we believe in development and growth –  and this is most evident in the pace in which team members move roles and consistently take on new challenges. Being resilient and adaptable is key to being successful at Target, and this is especially important when there is movement in your business unit, or BU. As you learned in my last post, I truly feel that I have the best BU in the company. My buyer, merchandise specialist, and I are a close unit that acts and thinks more like one person than three. But  things change and people move on. It’s no different in the ice cream BU. My buyer recently got promoted to being a buyer in Fan Central, or sports division (he’s a huge sports fan…it’s a perfect fit!). While it may seem like a big jump, there’s always been a lot of ice cream promotions with […]

Yup.  It happens to the best of us.  Even at the bullseye, we can have our Michael Scott moments and do silly things like have meetings before meetings just to get ready for the meeting.  Now don’t get me wrong – Target is an entirely unique place to work {Fortune mag’s #22 “World’s Most Admired Companies” for 2013, holla!} yet even the most innovative workplaces can find themselves embodying orthodox tenants of corporate America cubicle culture.  *shrug*  I guess it’s why we can all relate to Dilbert. So yes, this week I’m having some meetings before some meetings.  However, since I like to pride myself as an autonomous thinker who isn’t afraid to say “no thanks” to frivolous calendar invites, I would like to caveat that these pre-meetings are not your ordinary pre-meetings… they’re pre-line review-meetings. L I N E  R E V I E W  [layhn ri-vyoo] : noun Process in which […]

So, here’s the thing. There’s a group of three people who are so aligned they make decisions easily because they already know what the other people would say. They rearrange priorities consistently to ensure that they are keeping their fellow group members on-timing, they keep a multi-million dollar business running smoothly week after week, and they have been known to blast some of the hottest tunes on Friday mornings when most people haven’t even had their first cup of coffee. These three people? They’re the Ice Cream BU. While I might be a tad bit (or completely) biased, I am convinced that I have the amazing privilege to work in one of the best “BUs” or “business units” in the company. In merchandising, a business unit is a team made up of a buyer, a business analyst (BA), and a merchandise specialist (MS). This team is responsible for certain categories, […]

It’s amazing how fast things move in Merchandising at Target.  I’ve successfully surpassed my 90 day milestone here in my new Toys gig and my personal barometer of how it’s all going = Challenged, yet surprisingly comfortable.  Still in newness mode of constant discovery, yet feeling pretty confident in the how much I’ve learned in just a short amount of time.  So what’s happened in the first 90 days? Well, I started off with getting to know my new team… getting used to my longer elevator commute {although long elevator commute = better view from my cubicle window}… meeting my vendors… and immersing myself in all things girls aged 4-10.  And then, before I could even realize how quickly things were moving, suddenly I’ve gone through a full transition cycle {line reviews, planogram, and negotiations}, selected my assortment for Spring 2014, set + executed our Fall assortment in stores, became […]

As you may have heard, it’s muggy and hotter than HOT in the Twin Cities right now. The heat wave that’s settled here in the Midwest is welcomed by most—especially those of us who work in ice cream! Despite the weather that’s perfect for a round of 48oz Market Pantry Ice Cream (like that plug?…seriously though…it’s delicious), I personally can’t help but feel like it’s Christmas. While the snow isn’t swirling outside our windows and the craze that is retail in quarter 4 is not yet among us, I can’t help but feel that deliriously happy feeling that comes during the holidays. Why, you may ask? Well, it’s because while it may not be Christmas on the calendar, it’s ORC Christmas here at Target. ORC stands for “Onboarding and Recruitment Captain,” and each division has a business analyst that leads the initiatives of bringing in new analyst team members and onboarding them […]

I have a confession to make: I completely overuse the word “love.” You may be wondering why I’m choosing to start off my first blog post like this, but I feel it’s important to make sure everyone’s on the same page. I use the word “love” to express my feelings about everything from people to a new Excel macro. That being said, I think it’s important to note WHY I use this word so much. I’ve been at Target working as the business analyst for ice cream since I first started training on the desk last August. After interning the summer before, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to return to Target for a full-time position as a business analyst…but I really had no idea what an amazing experience it would turn out to be. Knowing this, I want you to know the […]

Cheese alert.  I know.  Sorry for the clichéd title.  I am on day 30-something in my new gig as the toy buyer so let me milk the cheese while I can.  Two months from now I pinky swear to lay off the 90 day references {at least I didn’t ask you to lean into my blog??} And for the record, I don’t care how much money has been made from advising rookies on their first 90 days – they are important days!  Let’s review. The GOOD :: You have about a three month grace period to play your “I’m new” card when necessary. The BAD :: You are new at the job and know nothing.  Knowing nothing when you want to know something can be uncomfortable.  And humbling. The UGLY :: You can only make a first impression once.  Any undo-ing you need to do after your first 90 days will take a looOoot longer than […]

Well everyone, the time has come for me to say goodbye. This last year of blogging has been fabulous and I am so glad that I was able to share my first year as a Target business analyst with you. Before I start getting too sappy (tear, tear) I want to share my closing words with you. It just so happens that we received a “Wise Words” page from our senior leadership yesterday, full of good tips for how to succeed at Target (or any company for that matter). What better way to end a journey then by offering tips to help you begin yours! So here it is. Soak it up and live by these words because they are indeed, very, very wise. Own your performance: -Be passionate about what you do. Do something that matters. -Never be the “least dressed” in the room. When in doubt, dress more […]

All good things must come to an end?  The end is the beginning is the end?  Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end?  Hmm… no… these don’t seem to articulate it right… I’ll cut to the chase.  The time has come.  I had my last week in Small Appliances and this week is the start of my new journey in the world of  **T O Y S**.  That’s right.  In the time between my last post and this post, I have a new gig.  And lemme tell you, I am eggggggcited =D  {and a little scurrrred… just a teeny tiny bit… in a good way}. I suppose I could have moved to any category, but I’m pretty pumped about Toys … not just because of the fun products but because of the handful of parallels I think small appliances has prepared me for.  National brand vendors… Holiday sensitive business… continuing […]

My day job is complicated.  When people ask what I do for Target and I reply “I’m a buyer”, I usually get a puzzled expression followed by a game face that says, “Oh wow so interesting but I’m totally confused by what you actually do.”  Since the role “buyer” is surmised into one neat compact five letter word, I try and keep my explanation brief.  “I buy small kitchen appliances  – i.e., when you shop Target and you’re under the big red sign that says   K I T C H E N, there’s about 4 aisles where all the stuff on the shelf was put there by me”.  That’s when I usually get the “oh wows”, “fun!”, “cOOoOol”, or my ever favorite – “Wait.  But you don’t cook… Like, ever.” {while this is partially true, I pinky swear I test A LOT of my products… and then supplement my culinary user error […]

Who did Target put in charge of shaping the next generation of legendary buyers??? This girl. …aaaand forty-some other talented merchants across all pyramids {grocery, home, hardlines, and apparel} and all channels {Target dot com and stores}. That’s right, it’s buyer training season and I’ve been paired with my very first buyer-in-training {or “BIT” since that’s easier to type}.  I realize I’ve never blogged about my own training experience, so now that I’m mentoring Jess {erm, that’s Jess in the non-first person… my mentee is also named Jess… which if I haven’t mentioned, 1 out of every 4 people in Small Appliances is named Jess… that’s how we roll…} I figure this is a great time to talk about Target’s world class training experience. This isn’t your ordinary, run-of-the-mill, here’s-a-training-booklet-good-luck, type of experience. Since Target sources candidates from diverse backgrounds with different levels of retail experience, training is a comprehensive multi-week […]

Long time no talk! I so apologize that I haven’t posted over the holidays… That being said, I think it is the perfect time to explain the reason for my delay of blogging to you, my fabulous readers, and that is due to an inherent trait of any position at Target; transition time. Something that many business analysts have in common at Target is their need to constantly be challenged and experience new things. Target does an incredible job at delivering on that expectation.  As you may know from previous posts, I trained in the Beauty Business, was placed during my first year in the Baby Care business, and was just recently moved to the Sports and Outdoors business; how exciting! From ordering mascara and curling irons, to diapers and formula, to tents and unicycles, it doesn’t get much more diverse than that. I didn’t even know we sold unicycles on Target.com […]

  Yikes!  I have been slackin’ on the bloggersphere!  :/  I’m sorry.  Saawwww-rreeee… {insert Joey Tribiani finger quotes here}  Not a good way to close out a year by leaving you hanging… that said, it’s a new year and I’m back.  I’m sliiiiightly late to the Resolution bandwagon, but given my recent fail to my blogger duties I think it’s time I get my act together.  As a tried + true procrastinator I’ll resort to the defense :: it’s better late than never.  And actually… if we call these new fiscal year resolutions then I’m not late at all (Target’s fiscal year starts first week in Feb).  I’m a few days early – ha!  🙂 So with that, I’ll leave you to my Buyer’s Resolutions for fiscal year 2013. Resolution #1 :: Listen More.  Yes, I know.  I talk a lot.  I’m chatty, I’m ENFJ, and sometimes words come out of […]

Raise your hand if you were out shopping with a belly full of turkey + other Turkey Day goodness. {hand raised} Okay okay, maybe I wasn’t “shopping” per se, but I was out + about in stores checking it all out and soaking it all in. For anyone who intentionally abstained from the temptation of early Black Friday sales, this probably sounds completely ludicrous. Trust me, I get it.  I have plenty of friends + fam who would think I’m crazy pants for subjecting myself to crowds + mayhem, but I have to say… there’s something thrilling + merry about it all. To me, it truly kicks off the holiday season. I mean, now that I live in the arctic tundra, I guess the barometer could tell me when the holidays are creeping back around again… but my west coast roots needs something a little more overt. What can […]

One year ago… on this very exact week… the training wheels were taken off and I was left to run my own business as the new, officially placed small appliance buyer.  My ten weeks of training were complete. I had three weeks to shadow the buyer I was taking over for (which I should clarify is a lucky anomaly that doesn’t always happen).  I was ready to apply my training practicum from a hypothetical context to an actual business. I walked in on Monday morning ready to take over the world… one kitchen appliance at a time.  Nothing could shake my blind confidence. That is, until our buyer ad captain whispered to me, “Jess. You know you’re on the front cover this week right?” Eh? Hmm…fishy. I did NOT know I was on the front cover that week. It sounded like a big deal, and while I usually don’t mind being a […]

For those of you who keep up with my incredibly fascinating blog about the interesting life of a Business Analyst at Target, my last post included common questions about the job as well as answers from 7 different Business Analysts at Target. Below is part 2 with even more questions and answers from our panel. Hopefully this helps you not only have more success in interviewing with Target, but also in understanding what the job entails! The Business Analyst Panel… Kacie– Newborn/Infant/Toddler Apparel (Target.com) Patrick–Special Sizes: Plus, Petite, Maternity (Target.com) Alissa– Produce – Main Vegetables (Target Stores) Zach– Entertainment (Target.com) Lexie– Lawn & Garden and Pets (Target.com) Will– Patio (Target.com) Amanda (ME!)– Baby Care (Target.com) The Questions… Biggest surprise about the job:   “The wonderful friends I’ve made!  Target has the best talent around and I’m lucky to work with such great people every day!” –Kacie “How much I would learn about women’s […]

It’s true.  I’m a bit of a chatterbox.  But that’s not what I’m confessing.  Anyone who’s met me for a quick second can tell that I’m never really short of words.  It’s not that I try to be the louder + more energetic one in social settings… it’s actually a low-effort reaction when I’m surrounded by people, regardless if they’re friends or strangers. You don’t have to be Carl Jung to label me an extrovert. *shrug* What can I say?  I like people.  I get energy from others. Which makes my confession oddly contradictory : I’m terrified of public speaking. Anyone who has heard me publicly speak will have a hard time believing this – I’ve been told that I come across as confident + normal.  I can neither confirm nor deny this because as I’m speaking I’m usually having an out of body experience and generating rapid-fire thought bubbles […]

My oh my… time to see what the Business Analysts at Target have to say about some frequently asked questions! Below are some common questions and BA responses so all you readers out there can get a good understanding (from more than just myself) about why we all love working at Target so much 🙂 The Business Analyst Panel… Kacie– Newborn/Infant/Toddler Apparel (Target.com) Patrick–Special Sizes: Plus, Petite, Maternity (Target.com) Alissa– Produce – Main Vegetables (Target Stores) Zach– Entertainment (Target.com) Lexie– Lawn & Garden and Pets (Target.com) Will– Patio (Target.com) Amanda (ME!)– Baby Care (Target.com) The Questions… Favorite thing about Minneapolis: “Everything!  It’s the greatest city!  But I’m biased because I grew up here.  Favorite things: Northeast bars, boating on the Mississippi, the lakes, great people, four seasons (although winter can get a little long.)” –Kacie “There is always something to do…even when we get a ton of snow.” –Patrick “That […]

Listen.  I’m about to get reeeeeeeal nerdy on you.  I apologize in advance.  Albeit, I’m not all that sorry because my blogger prerogative means that every now + then, I get to nerd out.  So there.  Let the nerd fest begin… You’ve already heard that Target is fast | fun | friendly.  Well the F A S T part refers to a lot of things – some of it refers to retail in general (a much faster industry than product development), some of it pertains to the dynamics of a winning business (you have to move quickly to stay ahead of the market), and some of it is about us – the merchants at Target have a lot of opportunities to try out new positions. We’re often given stretch roles or captainships for the sake of personal development.  We rotate buyerships to keep ourselves challenged and to keep the business perspective fresh.  More often than not – […]

As you, my faithful reader, probably know by now, the business I run is Baby Care. This means I am in charge of ordering inventory for all diapers, wipes, formula and toiletries you see on Target.com. And at the ripe age  of 23, I have become an expert at distinguising the different varieties of diaper by brand and where you will get the most bang for your buck when it comes to ordering formula in bulk- can’t say I am not prepared for the (very far) future! With that in mind, one of our biggest events of the year is coming up, the season where my job gets even more exciting; September Baby Sale! While my category has pretty steady sales throughout a normal month without much seasonality (diapers aren’t really something you wait in line for on Black Friday…), this sale allows me the opportunity to put my forecasting skills to the test […]

Rut-roh.  A few posts ago I said that TGT has two seasons: Winter + Interns.  Well, we just bid our farewells to the 2012 Summer MBA Intern crew … does this mean winter is upon us?  I guess the annual frost is inevitable, but based on the unfinished gravel + pylons downtown, I think we’re just defaulting to construction season for the interim. I digress.  Back to the interns.  We had a whopping 42 MBA interns (from 14 different schools) join us this summer in Merchandising | Finance | Strategy | Operations.  Many of them were new to retail and new to Minneapolis, so it was incredibly rewarding for me to act as a mentor and share my own experience of transitioning into the full-time buyer role and moving to a new city.  I was curious to hear their point of view though… after all, I was in their shoes not […]

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and your resume is the first thing that any potential employer will see. Every company is different with what traits they are looking for in a possible team member and Target is no different. Below are the top 5 things to keep in mind when writing/submitting your resume to Target for the BA position. Remember that this is not advice from Human Resources, Managers or Recruiters, simply the advice I would give from having worked here. If you already have a killer resume that you are proud of, own it. 1) The qualities Target strives to see in their team members is drive, dedication, a team player (very important!), accountability and trust. Incorporate these things into your resume where possible. Obviously as a business analyst you are in charge of managing a lot of money, so keep the analytical side […]

Finally!  I finally have a photo with Bullseye.  Sheesh.  Only took me 10 months… but I suppose every rite of passage takes time.  And a Bullseye photo – let alone a Bullseye photo surrounded by legitimate Target team members (from my department even!) – is a solid milestone. Let’s back it up.  First off, TGT is a special place to work and because of that (or maybe the reason for that is…) team members stay awhile.  And there are some common indications of people who have been around the TGT block : A closet full of red + khaki | first name basis with the front desk security team | knowledge of the super secret Caesar salad bar in the corner of the café that has (…wait for it…) *gasp* fresh. grilled. salmon. | cubicles littered with plush bull terriers wardrobed with more outfits than Carrie Bradshaw | and for a select few… a  5 x 7 with the infamous Bullseye. I never knew where […]

This past week I had my first experience with a team offsite and competitive shopping trip. The difference between this and an FFF (Fast, Fun & Friendly) event is that an offsite is all about team building, strategic thinking and business planning in an environment outside of the office. This was the first time the new Baby Team had been together as a group and we were able to get a lot accomplished in one day. After meeting at Macalester and eating a delicious breakfast of bagels, we dove right into the nitty gritty and started working together to come up with a description of the team we want to be. We were given the task of creating a mission and value statement about how to be the very best at Target.com and in the end the most common themes were: dedicated, trustworthy, smart, fun, great team players. Not only […]

There’s an old adage that Minnesota has two seasons :: winter + construction.  I might propose that our very own Tarzhay also has two seasons… winter + interns. If you step into our HQ right now you’ll see that intern season is in full swing :: elevators lines are longer, more people are queued up at Starbucks and the cafeteria, and suddenly I’m getting carded a lot less at happy hours… (hmm… fishy…) But unlike winters in Minnesota, intern season is something to look forward to and something Tarzhay should be proud of.   Wait.  Fine.  To be fair to the frost lovers out there, record-breaking sub-zero temperatures is also something to brag about.  And so is a top notch internship program. Every summer hundreds of undergrads + a handful of grad school students relocate to the Twin Cities to gain hands-on experience in areas such as merchandising, marketing, finance, strategy, […]

With summer upon us, and me having moved to a new team within my department, it was time for another FFF event. For those who do not know, FFF stands for Fast, Fun and Friendly- the motto that Target as a company revolves around. We aim to have all of those qualities when working with guests in the store, shipping orders out of the warehouse, or buying product in headquarters. One way that my team maintains such great relationships with each other is by trying to participate in monthly offsite events that allow us to get to know each other outside of work as regular people, not just co-workers. Our new team had planned on going to an afternoon Twins game, it looks like I had moved at just the right time! We walked two blocks from our office to the wonderful outdoor Twins stadium, grabbed some hotdogs and soaked […]

I think most working Americans can attest that Mondays are inherently tough.  Something about taking two days off makes it slightly challenging to wake up bright-eyed + bushy-tailed. I mean, maybe it’s just a buyer thing that the amount of emails and phone calls just seem to be slightly Monday-heavy in the scope of a week (although something tells me it’s NOT just a buyer thing).  Desk time is suddenly sacred and not to be wasted. So it was a pleasant surprise to see a hundred or so buyers take an hour out of a busy Monday to do what business gurus call “sharpening the saw.” The occasion was the third Buyer Speaker Series: a buyers-only guest speaker event hosted by TGT’s very own Buyer Committee (a buyer-led group focused on helping buyers gain career development + networking opportunities beyond the realm of normal job duties). I love the concept […]

I know it’s cliché to say, but the buyer role is a true mix of art + science.  A R T, because there’s an aesthetic to merchandising and placing product on shelves (people buy with their eyes after all, right?) and S C I E N C E, because TGT is obsessed with numbers, formulas, and processes.  For good reason though – it’s easy to get sucked into the romance of buying … buying is essentially the same thing as shopping, only you’re shopping for the whole country instead of yourself.  It’s easy to just want the latest + greatest, or the shiniest + prettiest… but in the end if your purchase isn’t going to give you a return, then you need to let it go.  Buyer’s remorse on your mint.com statement is one thing.  Buyer’s remorse on your performance review is no bueno. We just got back from a […]

One great part about both the intern program and the training program is the support you continuously receive throughout your time at Target. Target places a serious emphasis on the mentorship position as it can, quite frankly, make or break your experience with the company. Your mentor is somebody who is there for you from day one. They help you get used to the Target culture, assist you with new systems, teach you the ins and outs of your position, and most importantly, they are a friend that you can confide in about a bad day, tough training class, or an awesome presentation you gave. My mentor was a great guy named Erik who shared the same entrepreneurial and creative passion as I did. Since we worked so closely together, he was able to very clearly see my strengths and opportunities and did everything in his power to help me […]

I’m just going to say it…  Minneapolis isn’t always on the top of the consideration set when it comes to new cities to move to.  But it should be.  Frigid winters and arctic tundras aside, this place is a hidden gem.   The Mini-Apple might not be as poppin’ as the Big Apple, but it does have all the good stuff a big city has to offer:  access to great jobs + Fortune 500 companies, a thriving arts + culture scene, buzz-worthy restaurants, major sporting events, amazing parks + recs, high-ranked schools + universities, well-managed public transit, and let’s not forget the really important stuff: NO SALES TAX on clothes aaaand a really great cost of living.  Not too shabby, eh? The funny thing is… all the people from Minneapolis know this … which means many people don’t ever leave … or if they do, they definitely put it on the […]

If you see me walking around the building in flats it can only mean one thing: I’m headed to POG.  POG, Plano, Planogram, or “Pee-Oh-Gee” as one of my vendors likes to call it… is a visual representation of how we want our products to look in stores.  We have multiple rooms in our HQ where buyers can set up actual product samples to figure out how to best merchandise future assortments.  I’d show you what these rooms look like, buuuut I’d rather keep my job.  That’s right – these rooms are über-VIP, top secret, no photos | intruders | strangers allowed… so for the sake of understanding what I’m talking about, just picture a ginormous room with all the same fixtures + shelves you see in our stores littered with a ton of product samples of things you’ve never seen before. I’ve been spending a lot of time in […]

Now that I have introduced you to the Target culture just a wee bit, I thought I would give you a more detailed description about my start at Target: the internship program. The fall of my junior year, I heard about the Target internship program through my university. There were positions open in almost every department at Target (including the distribution centers, stores and headquarters), and I heard that it was a great way to test the company out, so I decided to apply. I went through my school’s application process and ended up with an on-campus interview. Not too long after, I got a call inviting me to partake in their summer internship program.  I was so happy!! The internship program is a ten week program. The general outline is 2 weeks of fairly intense training on business systems, Target’s corporate culture and different documents and terminology we should […]

Behind every great buyer is an even greater business analyst.  And behind me—a still-learning, puts-her-best-foot-forward, occasionally-makes-some-flubs buyer—is a great business analyst.  The BA (“business analyst” takes way too long to type…)/ buyer relationship is an interesting one.  Together, they equal a business unit.  Apart, they can’t really get the job done. Buyers are in charge of setting and executing the business strategy of a particular category.  This includes developing assortments and marketing plans to build sales, profitability and long-term market share.  BAs let the buyer strategy come to life by analyzing sales trends, forecasting with vendors and negotiating inventory levels to distribute product across our stores in the most profitable way. A lot of Target buyers started as BAs after undergrad, which is why the company is full of really talented and experienced merchants who understand the implications (cost + logistics) of buying decisions.  They help balance out the folks like me […]

So I’m not going to lie… Being a Target buyer is a pretty sweet gig.  Never mind the fact that I run my own multi-million- dollar business, bring cool items like this first to market, negotiate terms such as pricing, exclusivity, and promotion … There are some perks that take me away from the normal day-to-day buyer to-dos.  Case in point: last week was the 2012 International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago – the world’s largest marketplace for all peeps in the home and housewares industry (apparently there are 60,000 of us!)  OR… you can call it what it is:  4-days of rubbing elbows with VIP vendors and business owners; 4-days of the best trade shopping, browsing, perusing of items that have yet to be seen by the public eye; and 4-days of the greatest eats and drinks.  I mean c’mon! If we’re going to be in Chicago, we might as well grub […]

One of the most stressful seasons for our team when it comes to ordering, replenishing and making sure we are in stock on our items, is holiday. I mean, what do you think… We ARE in the business of retail, so that is only to be expected! That being said, us “Target-ites” work hard, but allow ourselves to play just as hard. One of the great things about being part of such a cohesive and vibrant team is the fun opportunities we take to bond and connect with the people with whom we spend 40+ hours a week. Most teams try to plan a monthly outing to do something fun, relax and enjoy the afternoon free from spreadsheets and e-mails. Some notable outings that have happened in the last 6 months have been brewery tours, a peddle pub, State Fair trips, Twins games, lawn bowling at Brits and many happy […]

For some reason, I just keep coming back. I would like to say I started my career at Target the day I was born, but I guess it would be more accurate to say that I have supported OTHER’S careers at Target for the past 22 years. There is something about the smell, feel and look of the stores that just keeps me returning to maintain my obsession with this company, shall we call it a “Tarjay-obsesh” for short? Go ahead, add it to your dictionary. This love of business led me to college at St. Thomas with a major in Entrepreneurship and Spanish- who doesn’t want to run their own company? My goal was to think up an incredible idea, market it perfectly, make a couple billion the first year in business retiring at the ripe age of 23. Hey, a girl can dream right? I knew starting my […]